Apr 15, 2016 | By Kira
Video game aficionado and 3D designer Simone Fontana, a.k.a. Fntsmn, has taken his 22-piece 3D printed Tracer gun from Overwatch to the next level. His latest creation, the Tracer Gun 2.0, features a brand new smartphone-controlled electronics component that lights up just like in the game.
Overwatch, which now has a confirmed release date of May 24, 2015, is one of the most highly anticipated multiplayer games of the year. The highly stylized gameplay, set on near-future Earth, features a whole range of heroes, but the fierce, double-gun toting Tracer has become an unofficial mascot of sorts.
While his original 3D printed Tracer gun, which is available as a free download on MyMiniFactory, was already quite impressive on its own—featuring 22 individually 3D printed parts that require very little post-processing or assembly—Fontana constantly strives to makes his game replicas as authentic as possible. Adding a light-up electronics component to this Overwatch prop was therefore a no-brainer.
That’s not to say, however, that it wasn’t a challenge. Fontana told 3Ders.org that although he has become proficient at 3D modeling and 3D printing, he still has a lot to learn about the world of electronics. He also had to make several crucial changes to his original 3D printed model in order to fit the electronic components inside, making this one of his biggest and most challenging projects to date.
Luckily, in the maker community, one is rarely alone. Fontana managed to team up with Noé and Pedro Ruiz, 3D printing experts at Adafruit. “I am always checking out Noé and Pedro’s creations,” said Fontana. “They create cool objects and props with amazing electronics.”
The Ruiz brothers helped Fontana select the best electronic components and provided invaluable insight, tips, and assistance for bringing his electronic Tracer gun to life. Fontana also credits colleague and frequent collaborator Ricardo Salomao for his help on the project.
Among the electronic components he ended up incorporating into the gun are an Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE, 2 NeoPixel Rings, a Lithium Ion Polymer Battery, and a slide switch.
diagram of circuit board
One of the biggest challenges Fontana faced, beyond learning how to assemble and program these components, was to fit them inside the gun. This required a major overhaul of his original 3D printed design. “The center part is the heart of the gun, and I had to make 5-6 prototypes before having a final version with the perfect tolerance,” said Fontana.
In the end, however, the team managed to pull it all off. As with the previous version, everything was 3D printed on his Dremel Idea Builder desktop 3D printer, painted by hand, and then carefully assembled. Thanks to a handy smartphone app designed by Adafruit, the finished Tracer Gun 2.0 can automatically light up in a variety of colors. Fontana also designed the gun such that users can easily take it apart to charge the battery or even create their own code to control the lights.
The 3D printed, electronic Tracer Gun 2.0 has received positive feedback from the Overwatch community, as well as from the Blizzard Overwatch moderators themselves, who recently posted Fontana’s work to their official Facebook page.
Simone Fontana has truly made a name for himself by combining his twin passions for video games and 3D printing. In addition to his Tracer Gun and Tracer Gun 2.0, Fontana has previously shared a life-size League of Legends Zenith Blade, a 3D printed Furious Power Fist from Fallout 4, and a light-up Fiora sword—all of which took considerable amounts of creativity, time, and money.
In the hopes of being able to continue designing, creating, and 3D printing these great projects so that they can be shared with the wider gamer community, Fontana has just set up a Patreon campaign, where fans can support him and his 3D creations. Those interested in making their own electronic 3D printed Tracer Gun can contribute $40 to receive access to the 3D printable files.
Overwatch's slogan is "The World Needs Heroes," and when it comes to 3D printed props, Ricardo, Pedro, Noé and Simone certainly fit the bill. Check out the video below to see the 3D design, printing, and assembly process:
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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